Tension ran high and caused panic among manpower companies in Itahari and Birtamod today as rumours that some Nepali workers had been killed in Malaysia spread like wildfire.

Manpower agencies downed their shutters and removed their signboards fearing a rerun of an unfortunate incident that took place back in September 2004 in the wake of brutal killings of 12 Nepali migrant workers in Iraq by a terrorist organisation. The incident on September 1, 2004, had triggered a trail of vandalism and arson across the country, with manpower agencies bearing the brunt the most with their losses then amounting to millions. “We have not forgotten the last incident (of 2004). We had to shut our offices in view of possible vandalism and arson,” said a manpower agency owner. 

Executive Chairman of the Sunsari Foreign Employment Entrepreneurs’ Association, Kiran Karki, said the reports that Nepali workers were killed in Malaysia did cause panic among manpower agencies and urged his fraternity not to take rumours seriously and check the veracity of reports before making any move. “Malaysia alone accounts for 60 per cent of our business, so such rumours obviously have a telling effect on companies,” he said. “There are more than 150 branch offices or contact offices of different manpower companies in Birtamod alone.” According to him, as many as 20 manpower agencies in Itahari have been sending workers to only Malaysia. 

In addition, manpower agencies were busy dealing with a deluge of calls from the kin of those working in Malaysia whole day today. Some manpower agencies in Itahari and Birtamod also requested police to provide security.

Published on: 26 March 2013 | The Himalayan Times